Winding machine for winding a web of material divided into strips by longitudinal cuts

ABSTRACT

Winding machine for winding a web of material divided into strips by longitudinal cuts, in particular a web of paper, plastic of metal foil, having two winding shafts that extend transversely across the machine width, which are positioned at one side of the machine in a pivotable turning device for moving from a winding position to a discharge position and back, whereby at the machine side opposite the turning device, a support device having a support element is arranged, which can be vertically moved by a drive, and which supports the end of a winding shaft on its way from the winding position to the discharge position.

This nonprovisional application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/838,199, which was filed on Aug. 17, 2006, and which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a winding machine for winding a web of material divided into strips by longitudinal cuts, in particular a web of paper, plastic or metal foil, having two winding shafts extending transversely across the machine width, which are positioned at one machine side in a pivotable turning device for moving from a winding position to a discharge position and back.

2. Description of the Background Art

In winding machines of this type, which are called double-shaft winders, the winding sleeves, onto which the strips are wound, are slid onto the winding shafts. Thus, the winding shafts support the rolls of web generated during the winding process. To remove the finished rolls of web, they are pushed off at one end by the winding roll. For this purpose, the bearing point supporting the winding shaft during the winding process at this end has to be temporarily removed. Because a winding shaft that is supported on one side only would be damaged by the weight of the rolls of web, the supporting bearing point at the push-off end of the winding shaft is removed only after the winding shaft with the rolls of web is supported by some other means. The support is provided either by a lift table moving underneath the rolls of web, which takes on the weight of the rolls of web, or else by an auxiliary pole, which is docked coaxially to the pus off end of the winding shaft in order to support the winding shaft, and at the same time, to accept the pushed-off rolls of web. The pushing off of the rolls of web and the subsequent sliding on of new empty winding sleeves takes place with the machine idling.

In order to reduce the down-time for the exchange of winding rolls, winding machines are known, which are provided with two windings shafts positioned in a pivotable turning device so that they can be moved from a winding position to a discharge position. This makes it possible, while winding onto one winding shaft, to remove the completed roll of web from the other winding shaft and to provide it with new winding sleeves. It is thereby necessary for the winding shaft with completed rolls of web to be continuously supported at both ends on its way from the winding position to the discharge position so that no damage is caused by the weight of the web rolls. In the winding machine known from DE 102 53 518 A, a pivotable turning arm, in which the two ends of the winding shafts are positioned, and which pivots synchronously with the rotational motion of the turning device, is arranged for this purpose on the side of the machine that is opposite the turning device. This solution requires the rotational motion of synchronizing shafts between the turning device, for example, a turning disk, and the supporting pivotable arm on the other side of the machine.

However, additional cross connections in the conventional art disturb the access capability to the winding area, or costly constructions with diverse rerouting gears are required to connect a turning device with a support arm with one another around the winding area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a winding machine, which functions reliably at minimal constructive expenditure.

According to the invention, the objective is met such that a support device having a support element, which is vertically movable by a drive, and which supports the end of one winding shaft on its way from the winding position to the discharge position, is arranged on the side of the machine that is opposite the turning device. The support device is, directly or indirectly, floor- braced.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the support device is fixedly arranged and, serving as a support element, includes a vertically movable support rail, which extends horizontally from the discharge position to the winding position of a winding shaft.

In a further embodiment, the support device is comprised of a horizontally movable carriage, onto which a support element is mounted that is movable by a drive, exclusively in a vertical direction.

According to an additional embodiment, the support element of the support device is comprised of a motor-powered extendable support, which is positioned as a motion link in a swivel joint. The support element is thus pivotable from the winding position to the discharge position, whereby the pivoting is done by an actuator.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment with a horizontal support rail, whereby

FIGS. 1 a-1 e illustrate the positions of the support rail in dependence from the position of the turning device;

FIG. 2 illustrates a support device with a support element, which is mounted to a movable carriage; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a further embodiment with a motor-powered extendable support element, which is formed as a motion link/rocker arm and is positioned in a swivel joint.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The winding device, which is only schematically illustrated in the figures, is used for winding a web of material divided into strips by longitudinal cuts, in particular a web of paper, plastic or metal foil. It comprises, in a known manner, two windings shafts 2, 3, onto which the winding rolls 4 are pulled during the winding process. On one side of the machine, the ends of the windings shafts 2, 3 are respectively positioned in a turning device 5. With the turning device 5, the winding shafts 2, 3, can be moved from a winding position (to the right in the figures) to a discharge position (to the left in the figures) and back. In each of the exemplary embodiments, the turning device 5 is a turning disk that is pivotable around a central axis 6, in which the winding shafts 2, 3, are positioned at an offset of 180 degrees at a distance to the swivel axis 6 so that at a 180 degree turn of the turning device 5, the winding shafts 2, 3, change their positions from the winding position to the discharge position.

Arranged on the side of the machine that is opposite the turning device 5 is a floor-braced support device 8 comprising a support element, which supports the ends of winding shafts 2, 3, on their way from the winding position to the discharge position. For this purpose, the support element can be vertically moved by a drive. As a result of its vertical mobility, the support element can be moved in accordance with the vertical motion component of the circular motion of turning device 5 in order to support a winding shaft 2, 3, in any position on its way from the winding position to the discharge position.

In the embodiment in FIG. 1, the support element of support device 8 is a support rail 9, which extends horizontally from the winding position to the discharge position. At its upper end, the support rail is mounted to a support 10 that is vertically movable by a drive. The support 10 can be moved up and down by a drive; for example, it is attached to the piston of a hydraulic piston-cylinder unit.

The supported part of a winding shaft 2, 3, is provided with a ball bearing, which rolls to and fro on the support rail 9 in accordance with the horizontal motion component from the circular motion of turning device 5. The outer diameter of the ball bearing is smaller than the inner diameter of the winding sleeves. This makes it possible to pull off the rolls of web 4 from the respective winding shaft 2, 3.

FIGS. 1 a-1 e show various positions of turning device 5 and the different vertical positions of the support rail 9 resulting therefrom.

In FIG. 1 a, the starting position is illustrated, wherein the winding of the rolls of web 4 held by winding shaft 3 had just been completed. Thus, winding shaft 3 is still in its winding position. The support rail 9 has already been moved vertically upwards so that it supports the end of winding roll 3. The bearing point in the machine frame supporting this end during the winding process can now be removed without damage being caused to the winding shaft 3 by the weight of the rolls of web.

Subsequently, winding shaft 3 is moved in its discharge position by a rotation of the turning device 5 in the direction of arrow 7. In FIG. 1 b, an intermediate position during the down motion of winding shaft 3 with the rolls of web 4 is illustrated. During the movement, winding shaft 3 is supported at its end by the support rail 9, which in this phase is also moved downwards for this purpose. After passing the lowest point, winding shaft 3, together with the winding rolls 4, is moved upwards, as is illustrated in FIG. 1 c. In this phase of motion, winding shaft 3 is also supported by the support rail 9, which, for this purpose, is moved upwards with the corresponding vertical component.

The end position of the movement, wherein winding shaft 3, together with the rolls of web 4, is in the discharge position, is illustrated in FIG. 1 b. In this position, winding shaft 2, provided with new winding sleeves, has reached the winding position. In the discharge position, the load of the wound-up rolls 4 is either assumed by a lift table, which is moved below the wound-up rolls 4, or else an auxiliary pole is docked to winding shaft 3 to support winding shaft 3. Subsequently, support rail 9 can be lowered to push the wound-up rolls 4 off winding shaft 3. The push-off position for winding roll 4 is illustrated in FIG. 1 e. While the wound-up rolls 4 are being unloaded, the winding sleeves, which are already in a winding position on winding shaft 2, can be wound up. The changing-out of rolls ends by sliding new winding sleeves onto winding shaft 3.

In FIG. 2, a different embodiment of a support device is illustrated comprising a horizontally movable carriage 11, which is mounted to support element that is movable by a drive, exclusively in a vertical direction. Attached to the carriage, for this purpose, is a vertically movable, motor-powered support 12, the end of which is a fork-shaped receiving element 13. The fork-shaped receiving element 13 supports and encloses the end of a winding shaft 3. In this embodiment, carriage 11 travels in correspondence with the horizontal motion component (twin arrow 14) of the circular movement of turning device 5. The control of the vertical movement of support 12 is subject to the vertical component (twin arrow 19) of the circular movement of the turning device 5. These two movements insure that on its way from the winding position to the discharge position, the end of winding shaft 3 receives permanent sufficient support.

A further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein the support element of the support device comprises a motor-powered extendable support 15, which is positioned in a floor-braced swivel joint 16 as a rocker arm. In this embodiment, the free end of support 15 is also formed as a fork-shaped receiving element 17. The fork-shaped receiving element 17 encircles, and supports, winding shaft 3. Support 15, thus pivotably positioned, is swiveled by a second motor-driven actuator 18. The extension movement of support 15 and its swivel movement are control-technically synchronized by the actuator 18 such that the support center in receiving element 17 describes a circular path that is identical to the circular path of turning device 5. Thus, winding shaft 3 is continuously supported from the winding position to the discharge position by support 15. This solution, as compared to the solution in FIG. 2, has the benefit that it requires less space. However, from a control technical aspect, its realization is more complex.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A winding machine for winding a web of material that is divided into strips by longitudinal cuts, the winding machine comprising: a pivotable turning device; and two winding shafts extending transversely across the width of the machine, which are positioned at one side of the machine in the pivotable turning device for moving from a winding position to a discharge position and back; and a support device being arranged at a machine side that is opposite the turning device, the support device having a support element, which is vertically movable by a drive, and which supports an end of a winding shaft from the winding position to the discharge position.
 2. The winding machine according to claim 1, wherein the support device is fixedly arranged and includes a support element that is a vertically movable support rail, which extends horizontally from the discharge position to the winding position of a winding shaft.
 3. The winding machine according to claim 2, wherein the supported part of a winding shaft is provided with a ball bearing, which moves to and fro on the support rail, and an outer diameter of which is smaller than the inner diameter of the winding sleeves.
 4. The winding machine according to claim 1, wherein the support device is comprised of a horizontally movable carriage, on which a support element is mounted that can be moved by a drive in an exclusively vertical direction.
 5. The winding machine according to claim 1, wherein the support device comprises a support element that is a motor-powered extendable support, which is positioned as a motion link in a floor-braced swivel joint, and wherein the support is swiveled by an additional drive.
 6. The winding machine according to claim 1, wherein the web of material is a web of paper, plastic or metal foil. 